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23 comments:

Bus g , ub kiya kahon, Dr Mubarak Ali wrote something about him. it should be read. I only know one thing, the Sufis i knew never worked in governments. Our modern Sufis were fav of dictators.ya wu sufi nahi the, ya PPL pur army ka qabza kurwane walle Sufi nahi

Alas my carelessness, i have been searching for that article but have failed so far. i will keep trying. It was published in Dawn and was about "selective amnesia" of bureaucrats after retirement. Dr Ali highlighted the historical fallacies of Shahab Nama.

"Once again, subjectivity is impossible to avoid. Dr. Mubarak Ali has also shown his secularist bias time and again, as in his article about "historical errors" in the Shahbnama, which were hardly historical errors but rather divergences from Mr. Mubarak Ali's own secular point of view."http://cyclewalabanda.blogspot.com/2009/03/whats-wrong-with-mubarak-ali-identity.html

@" sufis never worked in governments" many of the Sohravardi sheiks at least, and some of the Nakshbandis have worked in Govts. Check your history books, Sir.

Hazrat Shah Shahidullah Faridi RA on Sufism vs. other Paths:-

"There is a big difference between the spiritual aspect of Islam and that of other religions. In Islam, our spiritual people, after completing their spiritual training, live in the world like their fellow Muslims. This is peculiar to Islam. In Christianity, the monks abandon the world for good, and the rest of their life is spent in celibacy. In Hinduism, the truly religious person is one who stays away from all worldly entanglements to the extent of abandoning his wife and chil­dren. This is the final stage of their religion.

But it is not so in Islam. People are wrong when they say that Sufis teach their followers to give up the world forever. This is a foolish notion. If a Sufi thinks that he must not take part in a worldly activity, he too is wrong. There was a person who claimed to be a Sufi although he was fully involved in worldly activities. Somebody gave him Tarbiyat-ul-Ushaq to read. In the prologue of the book it is written that Hazrat Zauqi Shah Sahib (R.A.) participated to some extent in the Pakistan Movement and used to tell other people to do the same. That he considered it a duty of the Muslims to work for it, and if someone opposed this, he used to question him and reprove him. So he (this self-acclaimed Sufi) wrote in the margin of the prologue: “Our spiritual saints like Khwaja Moeenuddin Chishti (R.A.) and others stayed away from politics, as this was not the way of Sufis.”

"What I am trying to say is that some people who claim to be Sufis have not really understood Tasawwuf. Their idea of Tasawwuf smells of Hinduism, as though the Sufi, like some sadhu, should have nothing to do with worldly matters. In my opinion, this shows ignorance of Tasawwuf. Some self-proclaimed Sufis are like this. It is just as well that they are few in number. It is the ordinary people, the uneducated masses, who generally have a correct understanding of religion. In fact, more correct than that of many ulema. This is a strange blessing from Allah. If you ask an illiterate person about Sufi saints, he will understand the fact that a person can be a saint and at the same time par­ticipate in worldly matters, working for the strength and preser­vation of Islam.

TWO ASPECTS OF LIFEThese are two aspects of life: one is the spiritual aspect, and the other is the worldly aspect which is involvement in necessary worldly matters. The two are not mutually exclusive. One sees Islam according to one’s own nature. It is like looking into a mirror. One should keep in mind that the Holy Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the most noble and the best example for muslims. His political involvement was of such magnitude that just thinking of it bewilders the mind. One wonders how such a great spiritual leader managed to do it. It was a miracle. The Aulia Allah follow the example of the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). So it is not surpris­ing if they involve themselves in both. Hazrat Shahabuddin Suharwardi RA was an ambassador to a Caliph. The Caliph requested him to hold talks with another ruler; so he traveled in the capacity of an ambassador and did the needful. There are other incidents as well. Someone has even written a book on the relations between kings and saints. When one is working for Allah, for the religion of Allah, for the followers of His religion, then it is superior service and it all comes under spirituality."

-Shah Shahidullah RA was an English convert amd Chishti Shaykh, acknowledged by all to be one of the greatest saints of the 20th century.

sufis never worked in governments" many of the Sohravardi sheiks at least, and some of the Nakshbandis have worked in Govts. Check your history books, Sir.=========================

Some Historical Facts on 'Sufis' are as under:

Qudratullah Shahab - the so Called Sufi was one of those who architected the most repressive "Black Law" of Pakistan.

Humayun Gauhar's Father Altaf and his partner Qudratullah Sahab (Shahabn later became Sufis and used to tell as to how he witness the separation of his soul from his body [while alive in a Chapter of his biography Shahabnama)- both Bureaucrats of CSP/ISP Cadres) were the very persons who are the reason of the Collapse of Independent and Vibrant Print Media and Journalism in Pakistan way back in 60s.

Read, this "QUOTE" from The Press in Chains by late Zamir Niazi:

SUBVERTING THE FREE PRESS IN PAKISTAN:

During the trial of Ayub’s Information Secretary Altaf Gauhar in 1972, a disclosure was made that quite a few members of the Press succumbed to the corruptive influences of the dictatorial regimes of Ayub and Yahyah. It was revealed that some members of the Fourth Estate were in the pay of various official agencies, doing assignments of purely political character, more often outside the ambit of the institutions they belonged to. Their role was part of the corrupt and unjust dispensation that had to be suffered all these years. Unfortunately, the names of the beneficiaries were expunged from the Court Proceedings.

The National Press Trust was a brainchild of Altaf Gauhar. To those who were brazen enough to present the naked dictatorship as ‘democracy’, it presented no problem to advertise the scheme for putting a number of important papers under the official thumb, as an enlightened attempt by private “philanthropists” to “raise the standard of journalism and editorial policy”. An official compendium of Ayub’s “achievement”, Twenty Years of Pakistan, compiled under the supervision of Altaf Gauhar.

The Press and Publications Ordinance, 1960, was promulgated when Qudratullah Shahab, a super-bureaucrat, was Ayub’s Information Secretary. During his tenure as the Secretary, Ministry of Information, the Progressive Papers Limited had been taken over. The day these papers “turned a new leaf”, the editorial was written by himself claiming that “distant orbits and alien horizons- far from territorial and ideological boundaries of Pakistan- exercised a progressively increasing charm on the tone and policies of this newspaper (Pakistan Times). Which gradually began to look like a stranger in the house….”.

The decision to establish the National Press Trust had been taken, which was implemented by his successor. Shahab’s masterstroke was the creation of the Writers’ Guild. He himself was its first Secretary-General, while another Intellectual- Bureaucrat, Jamiluddin Aali (another Darbari Gawayya, not in the book my words) was appointed the Secretary. Three leading business houses of Karachi- Adamjees, Dawoods and Habibs-were marshalled to award “cash prizes” to “deserving writers” in order to “buy and corrupt their loyalties”.

Ayub during his last days, though a sick, lonely and broken man, did not forget Gauhar’s devotion and services to him. His final deed before vacating the President’s House was to hold a private investiture ceremony to pin a medal on Gauhar. Like his predecessor, Gauhar, since his removal from the corridors of power, has used every available platform to parade himself as the champion of the freedom of the Press as well as the man who had “nothing whatsoever to do” with the curbs on it. Soon after joining Dawn as its Chief Editor, it “dawned” upon him that the “curtailment of Press liberty has done immense harm to the country”.

During Altaf Gauhar’s sojourn behind the bars during the times of Bhutto, another realization “dawned” upon him, that of Maulana Abul Ala Maududi’s “profound understanding of Quran, the life of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and Islamic History”, the same Maulana he had maligned full blast, when he was occupying a posh room in the Islamabad Secretariat. The Bureau of National Research and Reference, under the Ministry of Information, during the 1964 elections, produced tons of literature against Jamat-e-Islami. Khalid Hassan, at that time Assistant Director (Projection) of the Bureau, writes:

“It is a bit ironic that the Jamat-e-Islami which Gauhar was to intellectually embrace during and after his internment in the Bhutto years appeared to be the main subject of ‘research’ at the Bureau. I think practically everything written, published and distributed against the Jamat-e-Islami in those days was produced either directly by the Bureau or at its instances elsewhere”.

Surprisingly, the subjects for translation from Maudoodi’s Tafhim, chosen by Gauhar were “justice, accountability, repentance, tolerance etc”. After a decade, he made another disclosure. Debunking the “religious obscurantists forces”, Gauhar said he translated the Tafhim because “I was sent to prison where I had the Tafhim-ul-Quran not as a matter of choice. It was simply there, the only thing available to me in jail”. Since he had nothing to do he translated it. It had nothing to do with his convictions.

On the distribution of Secret Funds is described by no other than Former Director of the Public Relations, Khwaja Tasawwur Ali Hyder. Agitated by Gauhar’s interview published in the Hindustan Times in 1981, in which the former Secretary had said:

“In Pakistan journalism had not really developed the wayit should have. There was a heavy parochial and partisan bias”. The interview had been reproduced in Nawa-e-Waqt. Khwaja Hyder in his long rejoinder writes:

“In 1967, when I was the D.P.R., stationed in Lahore, Gauhar came to the provincial capital and visited my office…. I was surprised when he asked me to accompany him to the lawns of the office. He was my superior and there were no informal relations between us. While strolling across the lawns, I came to know that he had planted his men in various newspapers, Nawa-e-Waqt and Chattan, the two opposition papers, Gauhar told me we must know the inside working of these papers. For this purpose we should try to ‘hire’ some journalists in these organizations. I was taken aback by his words because I always considered that the PID was a different organization from that of the intelligence agency. Gauhar being an intelligent man himself, felt what was going on in my mind. He politely told me that the ‘hired people’ would be paid from the secret fund. He also told me that a senior staffer in Nawa-e-Waqt was supplying the needed information. After thatmeeting he visited Lahore twice, broached the subject and came to the conclusion that I could not deliver the goods. Suddenly, on April 14, 1967, I was demoted and transferred to Rawalpindi as the Deputy Principal Information Officer”. (End of "QUOTE" from The Press in Chains by late Zamir Niazi)=====

Tuesday, October 14, 2008Islam, Temples, Sufis and Spread of Islam in India.

But as Muslims established their rule they took upon two tasks:

i - State patronage of India based sufi order. Chishtia order was thus patronised by all sultanates and Muslim kings.

A saint of Suhrawardi School, during the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb, Shah Daula in Gujrat, is said to have the power to punish disobedient parents in the shape of children with small heads (Microencephalic Children). These children, who then; serve at the shrine, are called “Rats of Shah Daula”.

Thousands of worshippers, specially barren women who supplicate for children, come to the saint invoking his blessings for the fulfillment of their wishes. The first born, usually with a very small head, is called the "mouse of Shah Daula" and is offered to work as a servant at the shrine. Subsequent births produce normal children.

According to a centuries-old tradition, barren women who worship at the shrine of the Sufi saint Shah Daula, will become fertile. But unless they donate their first-born child to the shrine as an oblate, all their subsequent children will be born disabled.

Claims are made that the tradition has been used as the foundation for a trade in the donated children, who are deliberately disfigured and sold to professional beggars by the shrine's guardians, although the shrine is now controlled by the government of Pakistan. It has been claimed that the disfigurements are caused by a genetic abnormality, but studies show that the children are unrelated to each other.

There may be as many as 10,000 of these people, most in the Punjab province & the city of Gujrat.

References: Galpin, Richard. "The Rat-Children of Pakistan: Blessed by a Sufi Saint but Disfigured for Profit," The Guardian [London], 20 June 1998

One such example of gross human rights violation perpetrated in the name of religion on ignorant people who have gotten so much superstitious that upon fulfillment of their wishes they leave their kids on premises of a tomb. The heads of these innocent children are donned with steel helmets to restrict their growth!

They are just tools for the people who are running the begging business to earn some more money from people. No one even knows what else they make people do in the name of religion!

Read and download the report in the link provided by BBC.

The rat children of Pakistan

Richard Galpin reports from Pakistan where, according to human rights groups, hundreds of young children are being exploited because of an ancient fertility tradition that leaves many children deformed and sold into begging.

Watch Richard Galpin's report

On an ordinary weekday at the shrine of Shah Dola in the Punjabi city of Gujrat, hundreds of worshippers come to celebrate the life of one of Pakistan's most revered Sufi saints.

Some choose to show their respect by dancing wildly - in a state of ecstasy.

Women unable to conceive come to pray at the temple By the tomb itself dozens of women pray intensely. By doing so, they believe, they will be blessed with a child.

According to a legend dating back hundreds of years a woman who's unable to conceive will become fertile by offering prayers here. But at a price.

The couple can expect their first-born to be handicapped - a rat child with a tiny head. And it must be handed over to the shrine.

The legend is very much alive. One woman, who had come to pray for a son, said God would punish anyone who did not honour their commitment.

Deliberately deformed

"Rat children" grow up with mental and physical handicaps Experts say they are being deliberately deformed by criminal gangs operating around the shrine who then use them for begging.

Many of the children handed over to the shrine or those claiming to represent it end up on the streets.

At the main bus-stand in Gujrat we quickly came across a group of several rat-children with their owners.

They all have the distinctive shrunken heads; they're severely handicapped and can't even speak.

With their owners close behind, they approach passengers sitting in their minibuses waiting to leave. They demand money and they get it.

High value beggars

It is widely believed that the handicapped are closer to god It is widely believed that the handicapped are closer to God and must not be ignored. Their value as beggars is therefore enormous.

Anusheh Hussain, head of Sahil, an organisation fighting against child exploitation in Pakistan says the rat-children can be sold for large sums of money:

"One has heard that these children are sold from anywhere between 40,000 - which is approximately 10 dollars - to 80,000 rupees per child" she says. "On average they will be able to make, through begging, around 400 to 500 rupees a day, which makes it a verylucrative business considering that's twice the amount a civil servant makes."

Healthy babies

There is suspicion that healthy babies are deformed and sold for begging Because of this there is deep suspicion that the legend of Shah Dola has in fact been fabricated to trick ordinary people into handing over perfectly healthy babies. It's believed these are thendeliberately deformed so that they can then be sold for begging.

Pirzada Imtiaz Syed, a trade union leader based in Gujrat, he says he has heard of many cases of abuse:

"I have not seen this myself but I have heard from many people that they use iron rings which are placed on the baby's head to stop it growing. I believe there are about 10,000 rat children in Pakistan controlled by a mafia of beggars who are all over the country. These children are also physically and sexually abused."

Medieval contraptions

The allegation that the children are being deformed using medieval contraptions is of course denied by those associated with the shrine in Gujrat. They say the rat-children are suffering from a genetic disease.

Dr Qasim Mehdi: theories of genetic disease are medically impossible But Pakistan's top genetic scientist, Dr Qasim Mehdi, who investigated this for three years, says this is medically impossible.

"In order for a disease to be genetically inherited you have to have a disease running in the family" he says.

"The point is that these children are not related to one another by any stretch of the imagination. Our investigation shows that they come from very different backgrounds, from very different families. So if there is no blood relationship between any two individuals and between even an incident where a father or son or uncle was involved, it cannot be a genetically inherited disease."

'Crime against humanity'

The government says it is very concerned but claims that, following action by the authorities in the 1980s, the gangs operating at the shrine were removed and there are now no children being deliberately deformed in this way.

The government says children are no longer being deliberately deformed But we found otherwise. At the bus-stand in Gujrat there was one rat-child being used for begging who looked at most seven or eight years-old. The minister responsible, Raja Zafar-ul-Haq promised further government action.

"We will certainly go after these people" he says, "they are criminals and if you can give me any idea as to their whereabouts then we can ask the police to investigate. It's a crime against humanity."

But what is really required is a full-blown investigation into this long-running mystery. Many experts believe the time has come to push religious sensitivities aside and for the government to takedecisive action.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/122670.stm

Some of you might find the video disturbing. Viewer discretion is adviced.

How can a mere myth ruin the lives of thousands of children? In Pakistan, microcephalics - babies born with abnormally small heads - are known as 'rats' and credited with god-like powers. Believers will give them money in the hope of blessings, but unscrupulous gangs of beggars are now exploiting this ancient tradition for their own ends. They kidnap young 'rat' children - or frighten parents into handing them over - and then force them into a lifetime of begging on the streets. They are lucrative - so much so that some people allege that normal babies are being deliberately deformed to look like microcephalics. Why else, they ask, are there so many such children in Pakistan? And until something is done to combat the myth, the helpless 'rat' children will be condemned to a life of abuse.

NOTE: This feature was short-listed for the UNICEF UK Award for the Advancement of Children's Rights in the One World 2000 Media Awards.

Seeking Miracles in a Place of Cruelty and Beauty By RICK BRAGG Published: October 28, 2001

Surrounded by caged birds and blessings, touched in reverence by throngs of people who believe that she is touched by God, the young woman with the startling deformity sat at the door of a place of miracles and pawed clumsily at the women and babies who bowed for her favor. The gatekeeper of a shrine to health and fertility, she has a shrunken head that is too small for her body, her words are nonsense and screams, and even her face, with its pointed forehead and wide, round jaws, is in the shape of a tear.

@" sufis never worked in governments" many of the Sohravardi sheiks at least, and some of the Nakshbandis have worked in Govts. Check your history books, Sir.

===================

In my humble opinion such Sufi Shrines should be razed from the face of earth.

I am a resident of Rural Sindh and I know what goes on these Places which are erected in the name of Sufiism. One Shirne in Sewhwan Dadu Sindh i.e. Lal Shabaz Qalandar was given a giant door made of Gold by Shah of Iran in 70s whereas in the very same area people are living below poverty line and when the disciples celebrate the annual gathering you just cannot imagine as to what goes on. I say I would rather prefer Strip Joint instead of Sufi Shrine. Prostitutes from all over Pakistan come and do roaring 'business' courtesy Sufi's Miracle.

If the children [flowers] are not safe in Madressahs, Church then they aren't safe in Sufiism either.

What about HIV/AIDS and above all Child Abuse of worst kind in the garb of Sufiism.

Dancing boys By G H Khwaja October 07, 2007

Courtesy Dawn Magazine

THE progress of Sindh has been hampered by two factors mainly. The ruthless control of feudal lords over socio-economic factors in the region and illiteracy. Superstition has also affected the intellectual growth of the people of Sindh to some extent. However,alongside all of this, certain things provide a strange kind of enjoyment to the general public. I am referring to the melas held annually at the shrines of different pirs and Sufis.

These melas are held on sites where in the past, the Sindhi topi-wearing villagers used to behead their dear ones in the name of karo-kari (honour killing). But now vulgar dances performed by eunuchs and teenage boys can be seen instead.

In lower Sindh, the harvesting time of major crops like sugar cane and rice heralds the beginning of the melas such as Melo Meher Shah Jo, Melo Jando Pir, Mo Ibrahim Shah Wari Waro and Melo Saman Sarkar. Teenage boys’ dances have always remained a major attraction for those who throng these melas. Wearing anklets and dancing to the rhythm of the dhol and chimta and swaying to the melody of harmonium, sarood and sarangi, these boys have the ability to grab the audiences’ attention. They are often attired in female dress to invite the attention of the people and never hesitate to openly kiss the villagers. This results in getting more money for the boys.

"I am in this profession because my elders were in it too. My father and older brother earned a lot of money through dancing, but when they grew up, they became hoteliers,” said Nabi Bux, 14, hailing from Tando Adam. He had travelled all the way from Tando Adam to Melo Ibrahim Shah Wari Waro located on an island in Thatta’s coastal belt.

He said, his elder brother Shakeel taught him how to attract and entertain the misery-stricken villagers through dancing -- the villagers who never hesitate showering money on entertainers.

Another dancer Waseh Ali said, “During the melas, police officials and some waderas get hold of us. The drunken policemen and influential waders often drag us to their autaqs and sexually abuse us.”

A little educated sarangi player, Ustad Khamiso Khan, while discussing the issue said that trying to educate these boys would be an exercise in futility. What could education do for them? One dancer earns on average Rs4,000 to Rs7,000 per night, not to mention some other valuables that they may get from their admirers.

Ustad Khamiso said, “The intricacies involved in the dance can be seen in the fact that despite being individually performed, there is a sense of collectiveness that goes along with the rhythm of the dhol and the chimta.”

Initially, some of the teenagers remain unaware of the various important dance moves like the moves that indicate the process of sowing, harvesting, the Bhangra moves, the snake charmer’s moves etc. But such moves don’t sell that much.

“Boys between the ages of seven and 12 are supposed to be the better ones in the business. Once they start getting older, they lose their charm, and business,” said Ustad Khamiso.

what I meant to say that Sufi Shrines in Pakistan and India as well are the biggest centre for Drugs, Narcotics, Prostitution, Child Molestation and Abuse. There are many shrines in Pakistan and India where the Shrine Keepers offer Intercourse with those woman who have no Children due to sterility and these Shrine Keepers concoct the belief that sterile women have children due to Sufi Miracle. One more thing is that at these Shrines we find many women who are sufferring from psychological disorder but left at these Shrines and in Chains [free for sexual abuse by Shrine Keepers] and these Shrine Keepers claim that these 'Women' are under Demonic possession and Sufi miracle would free themselves and instead of any medication and proper medical treatment these women became victims of sexual abuse.

Now read this demise of Common Sense where people need Social Justice, Health Care, Education, Employment, Social Security and Peace!

Mystic crocodiles draw thousands of devotees in Karachi

Saturday, November 27, 2004

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_27-11-2004_pg7_44

KARACHI: Crocodiles with huge teeth-filled mouths lie in the sand and slap their snouts on the edge of sulphur springs, greeting worshippers who journey to the Mango Pir shrine on the outskirts of Karachi.

It is one of thousands of Sufi shrines where millions of devotees come from all corners of the country to pray, chant, dance, sing, occasionally smoke hashish, and seek healing. The 700-year old Mango Pir shrine, 25 kilometres southwest of the city centre, is believed to be the resting place of a Hindu bandit who tried to rob the caravan of Baba Farid Shakar Ganj, a 13th century Sufi saint.

According to local legend, Mango Pir converted from Hinduism to Islam when he realised his sin, and in reward Ganj gave him lice which grew into crocodiles.

The compound surrounding his shrine swarms with some 150 crocodiles. Devotees regard the deadly reptiles as sacred, and potential fulfillers of their most fervent wishes. Devotees journeying to Mango Pir make offerings not to the buried there, but to the scaly creatures. “We have been serving these crocodiles for seven centuries and many generations. My forefathers were the followers of Mango Pir, who assigned them this task,” said Mohammad Sajjad Barfat, caretaker of the crocodile’s sanctuary.

Wildlife experts are unsure how the crocodiles came to be there. Some believe they may be traced back to a time when the area was a swamp. “The area may have been a wetland some time in history and that could be the only explanation of their presence at such an isolated place,” said World Conservation Union (IUCN) researcher Tahir Qureshi. “Earlier, their natural habitat was available to them. But now they are confined to ponds and their subsistence largely relies on artificial food.” Devotees, including many from neighbouring India just 400 kilometres away, give beef, mutton or chicken to the crocodiles as offerings in the hope they will make their wishes come true.

Acceptance of the meat offerings by the ‘king’ of the crocodiles, known as More Sawab, is taken as a sign that a wish will be granted. “If More Sawab accepts the offering, that means the wish of the devotee is fulfilled,” said caretaker Barfat. Despite being the largest of the crocodiles, More Sawab is reputed to be friendly towards humans, although such tall tales are legion in South Asia. “I cannot forget the incident when a child of 10 years tumbled into the pond and everyone including his mother were sure of child’s ill fate,” recalled the caretaker. “But More Sawab nudged the child with his snout to help him reach the bank of the pond. It was amazing to witness.” The Mango Pir draws leprosy patients and those suffering from chronic skin diseases, seeking to bathe in the lukewarm waters gushing outside the shrine.

Scientists say the water may contain sulphur, which has therapeutic value in healing scabies, a common disease among people living in crowded areas in unhygienic conditions. However it can aggravate other diseases.“This is a general misconception about the Mango Pir stream, which could be good for scabies because of sulphur in the water but disastrous for leprosy patients,” said dermatologist Sharaf Ali Shah. afp

@Aamir, I beg to disagree here. The abuse of an institution does not mean that the institution is bad per se. The abuse of a religion does not mean that the religion is bad per se. In my humble opinion, Sufis as well as Wahhabis, Sunnis as well as Shias, Christians as well as Hindus, Qadianis as well as Ismailis and all others must have the choice to freely practice what they believe in. We must learn to understand, accept and respect difference, while at the same time attempting to non-violently reform certain abuses which have crept into almost every religion, sect, belief or culture. What do you think?

while at the same time attempting to non-violently reform certain abuses which have crept into almost every religion, sect, belief or culture. What do you think?================Abdul Sahab,

Sir, I agree that Freedom to Practice Religion is a must for any society. Religion [of any form] should be sacked from every state institue of Pakistan otherwise it would be a big problem. I am all for complete Secular Society [Religion should be restricted to Mosque and Imam Bargahs]

Read this syupidity of Hamid Gul.

This whole bunkum of Sufism is related with the ideologies floated around in the name of Islam by Ibn Arabi [Sheikhul Akbar for the Deobandis - Spiritual Godfathers of Taliban Movement] and every Tareeqah defend this very Sheikh Al Akbar not only that these Deobandis have written books to defend the Ideology of Ibn-Arabi i.e. Wahdatul -Wajood [Unity of Existence] Majddaad Alaf Sani and Shah Waliullah's Wahdatul Shahood [One in All] and Hallaj's [Halool or Transmigration]. Even the so-called Jihadis of Shah Waliullah Clan i.e. Syed Ahmed Shaheed and Shah Ismail Shaheed were Extreme in their Sufi Beliefs [Non Stop Dreams/Kash-Influx and alleged indications from Allah after every hour - Read their book Sirat-e-Mustaqueem] and due to these Influx and alleged Dreams from Allah that their Jihad Movement was thoroughly thrashed by the Durranis and Barakzai in connivance with Sikh State. One of the reason of the failure was that they were unaware about the Local Custom and Traditions of Pashtuns and which they tried to change and that too without knowing their knowledge and if that wasn't enough they tried to place Syed Ahmed as Ameerul Mumineen which was resisted by the Pashtun Tribal Chiefs because as per them Mullahs are not suited for the post of Ruler because their livelihhod is dependant upon Charity [Zakat and Khairat].

If I am given a choice to choose between Sufism or Secular Classic Greek Democracy, mine would be Secular Democracy but why?

Pakistani Private TV Channel HUM TV in April 2008 telecast two episode of Special Talk show hosted by Mr Javed Qazi with the Guest Lt. General Retd Hamid Gul [Former ISI Chief]

As usual Mr. Hamid Gul was lying and distorting History as usual as if people [160 Million Pakistanis] are some kind of a fools and can be taken for a ride]

Strangely when Mr Javed Qazi asked about Jihad and Sufism [Mentioning Deviant Mansoor Hallaj while praisisng Hallaj]. Mr Hamid Gul without even having the basic knowledge of Islam and for justifying the anarchy he and his cohorts created in the name of Jihad and at the same time not angering the host bluntly said "who said that the Sufis are against Jihad e.g. Imam Shamil [A Chechen Freedom Fighter] was a Sufi of Naqshbandi order.

Keep in mind while reading the lies above that any Worship (that includes Jihad) mixed with Shirk [Polytheism] is not acceptable in Islam no matter how Holy and Pious the targets are. Period

1- Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases, and whoever sets up partners with Allah in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin [Al-QUR'aN Surah:4:48]

2- And (remember) when Luqman said unto his son, when he was exhorting him: O my dear son! Ascribe no partners unto Allah. Lo! to ascribe partners (unto Him) is a tremendous wrong [LUQMAN (LUQMAN) 031.013]

the lower self, Shaytaan, vain desires and worldliness, "we need his support," and that "without such a strong support a person will be vanquished."

Their saying, "Therefore, we seek our Grandsheikh’s support by saying: "Meded Ya Sayyidi", "Support, oh my Master." "You must call upon your Grandsheikh in such a manner when you are in need of support, then that support may reach you."

Their claim that guidance reaches to our hearts through the Saints.

Their saying, "you must look for the support of the Saints in a Universe in which you are totally weak."

This article is useful for explaining how some people fall in shirk in all aspects of Tauheed:

Shirk in Tauheed ur-Ruboobeeyah:

Their claim that the Grandsheikh can bring good fortune or remove calamities; he can govern the affairs of this world and he is believed to have power and influence besides Allaah, or that Allaah creates creations that can cause harm and benefit to His creatures. The Grandsheikh is one upon whom we are dependent for guidance and spiritual strength.

Shirk in Tauheed ul-`Ibaadah:

Directing one’s acts of worship, such as du`aa (supplication), seeking help, tawakkul (trust and reliance), and hope for good fortune to other than Allaah.

Shirk in Tauheed ul-Asmaa’i was-Sifaat:

Attributing divine power to Allaah’s creation. Attributing to man the power to keep a watchful eye on his followers, whether alive or dead, the power and ability of guiding people’s hearts that belongs to Allah alone, and ability to answer prayers of Allaah’screation and provide them with aid.

Refutation from the Qur’aan:

Allaah says in the Qur’aan, "And who is more astray than one who calls besides Allaah, such as will not answer him till the Day of Resurrection; and who are (even) unaware of their calls to them? And when mankind gathered (on the Day of Resurrection), they (false deities) will become enemies for them and will deny their worshipping." (46:5-6)

"You Alone we worship and from You Alone we seek help." (1:5)

"Do they attribute to Allah those who created nothing but they themselves are created? No help can they give them, nor can they help themselves." (7:191-2)

"Those on whom you call besides Allaah are only slaves like yourselves." (7:194)

"Do not worship besides Allaah that which cannot help or harm you." (21:66)

"And those whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own not even a Qitmir (the thin membrane over the date-stone). If you invoke them, they hear not your call, and if they were to hear, they could not grant it to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they willdisown your worshipping them. And none can inform you like Him Who is the All-Knower." (35:13-14)

"And invoke not besides Allaah any that will neither profit you nor hurt you, but if (in case) you do so, you shall certainly be one of the Dhaalimooon. And if Allaah touches you with heart, there is none who can remove it but He; and if He intends any good for you, there is none who can repel His Favour which He causes it to reach whomsoever of His slaves He will. And He is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (16:107)

Also, "You worship besides Allah only idols, and you only invent falsehood. Verily, those whom you worship besides Allaah have no power to give you provision, so seek your provision from Allaah (Alone) and worship Him (Alone), and be grateful to Him. To Him (Alone) you will be brought back." (29:17)

Refutation from the Sunnah:

"If you ask in prayer ask only Allah, and if you seek help, seek it only from Allaah." [At-Tirmidhee, an-Nawawi’s Forth Hadith]

"He who dies while praying to someone as rival to Allaah, the reward for such a person shall be the Fire of Hell." (Narrated by Al-Bukhaaree)

"O people of Quraish, sell your own souls. I will not be of any help to you before Allaah; O Abbaas ibn Abdul-Muttalib, I will not be of any help to you before Allaah; O Safiyah, aunt of Allaah’s Messenger, I will not be of any help to you before Allaah; O Faatimah, daughter of Muhammad, ask of my wealth what you wish, I will be of no avail to you before Allaah."(Narrated by al-Bukhaaree)

During the days of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, there was a hypocrite who used to harm the believers, some of them (the believers) said: "Come (support) with us while we appeal to Allaah’s Messenger for assistance against this hypocrite." The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, replied, "Verily, no one should seek to me for assistance. Indeed, it is Allaah Who is to be sought for assistance and help." (at-Tabaraanee)

Saying of a scholar, Ibn Rajab, rahmatullaahi `alayhi:

"Know that it is an obligation to invoke Allah Alone in Du`aa, and not His creation. Invoking entails showing humiliation, destitution, need and poverty by the one who is invoking while admitting that the one who is being invoked has power over delivering such matters as removing hardship, delivering the need, bringing about benefit and fending off harm. Admitting (and showing) humility and meekness can only be revealed to Allaah, Alone, for this is the essence of worship."

Proofs are numerous, since Shirk is crystal clear in their article, "wa laa Hawla wa la quwwata illaa billaah" (and there is no ability or power save by Allaah).

2- Mansoor Hallaj:

Al-Hallaaj was al-Husayn ibn Mansoor al-Hallaaj, who was known as Abu Mugheeth, or Abu ‘Abd-Allaah. He grew up in Waasit, or it was said in Tastar, and he was connected with a group of Sufis including Sahl al-Tastari, al-Junayd, Abu’l-Hasan al-Noori and others.

He traveled to many places, including Makkah and Khurasaan, and India where he learned sihr (magic, witchcraft). He finally settled in Baghdaad, where he was killed.

He learned magic in India, and he was a trickster and cheat. He deceived many ignorant people thereby, and they were attracted by him, until they thought that he was one of the greatest awliya’ (close friends or “saints”) of Allaah.

He is liked by most of the Orientalists, and they think that he was killed wrongfully because, as we shall see below, his beliefs were close to Christian beliefs and he preached a similar message.

He was executed in Baghdad in 309 AH, because it was proven by his own confession and otherwise that he was a kaafir and a heretic.

The scholars of his time were agreed that he was to be executed because of the words of kufr and heresy that were narrated from him.

The following are some of the things that he said:

1- He claimed to be a prophet, then he went further and said that he was God. He used to say, “I am Allaah,” and he commanded his daughter-in-law to prostrate to him. She said, “Should I prostrate to someone other than Allaah?” He said, “There is a god in the heavens and a god on earth.”

2- He believed in incarnation and union with the Divine, i.e., that Allaah was incarnated in him, and that he and Allaah had become one and the same – exalted be Allaah far above that.

This is what made him acceptable to the Christian Orientalists, because he shared their belief in incarnation, for they believe that God was incarnated in Jesus (‘Eesa, peace be upon him). Hence al-Hallaaj spoke of divine nature and human nature as the Christians do. Some of the lines of verse that he composed said: “Glory be to the one Whose human formmanifested the secret of His divinity Then He emerged among His creation in the form of one who eats and drinks.”

When Ibn Haneef heard these lines, he said, “May the curse of Allaah be upon the one who said this.” It was said to him, “This is the poetry of al-Hallaaj.” He said, “If this is what he believes, then he is a kaafir.”

3- He heard someone reciting a verse from the Qur’aan, and he said, “I am able to compose something like that.”

4- Another of his lines of poetry says: “People formed different beliefs about God, and I believe in everything that they believed.”

These words imply that he approved of and believed in all forms of kufr that the misguided sects of humanity believe in, but it is a contradictory notion that no sound mind can accept. How can anyone believe in Tawheed and shirk at the same time?

5- He said things which denied the pillars and basic principles of Islam, namely prayer, zakaah, fasting and Hajj.

6- He used to say that the souls of the Prophets had been reincarnated in the bodies of his companions and students. So he would say to one of them, “You are Nooh”; and to another, “You are Moosa”; and to another, “You are Muhammad.”

7- When he was taken out to be executed, he said to his companions, “Do not worry about this, for I will return to you after thirty days,” He was executed and he never came back.

Because of these sayings and others, the scholars were agreed that he was a kaafir and a heretic, and for this reason he was executed in Baghdad in 309 AH. Similarly, most of the Sufis denounced him and denied that he was one of them. Among those who denounced him was al-Junayd, and he was not mentioned by Abu’l-Qaasim al-Qushayri in his book in which he mentioned many of the Sufi shaykhs.

The one who strove to have him executed and who held a council in which he ruled that he deserved to be executed was Al-Qaadi Abu ‘Umar Muhammad ibn Yoosuf al-Maaliki (may Allaah have mercy on him). Ibn Katheer praised him for that and said, “One of his greatest and most correct judgements was his ruling that al-Husayn ibn Mansoor al-Hallaaj was to be executed.” (al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah, 11/172)

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: “Whoever believes what al-Hallaaj believed in and agrees with the ideas for which al-Hallaaj was executed, is a kaafir and an apostate, according to the consensus of the Muslims. For the Muslims executed him because of his belief in incarnation, union with the Divine and other heretical beliefs, such as his saying, ‘I am Allaah,’ and, ‘There is a god in the heavens and a god on earth.’ … Al-Hallaaj performedextraordinary feats and various kinds of magic, and there are books of magic which are attributed to him. In conclusion, there is no dispute among the ummah that whoever believes that Allaah can be incarnated in a human being and be as one with him, or that a human being can be a god, is a kaafir whose blood it is permissible to shed. On this basis al-Hallaaj was executed.” (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 2/480)

He also said: “We do not know of anyone among the imams of the Muslims who spoke well of al-Hallaaj, neither among the scholars nor among the shaykhs. But some of the people did not comment on him because they did not know about him.” (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 2/483)

There are many points of differences between ulema and there is no good in discussing them especially in the method you chose. To call one Kaffir (disbeliever in God) is one of the biggest follies. Here is the doctrine (aqeeda) of Hallaj - go judge you who like to judge:http://www.sunnah.org/aqida/Hallaj_doctrine.htm

This reminds one of Isa peace be upon him ... we claim him to be a Prophet ... they claim him to be God ... but all that does not mean he was wrong, the slanderers and liars who attribute kufir to his mouth are wrong.

Sorry for so many comments. Also, you have used Ibn Taymiya for your views on Al Hallaj. Ibn Taymiya was no less controversial in his times - he was imprisoned and denounced by scholars of his time. Yet to call him kaffir etc would be ignorant. Here is a great discussion on Ibn Taymiya and Ibn Arabi,someone who the salafis love calling kaffir as well (but who do they not call kaffir?).http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=7&ID=4851&CATE=22

You should also watch these movies and read the novels of Harold Robbins for your sipiritual Uplift and these movies and novels would help ease down your frigidity. Secular means Secular no Sufism as well because it is related with Religion [Sufism is Unity of Religion] and religion is a personal thing.

I have never mentioned anywhere that I am an expert on Islam, I have just mentioed on front page of my blog that I am an Analyst.

You have to cut and paste Quran and Hadith if you talk of Islam and if you talk of Islam then these are the only sources of Islam.

Please do read as to what I have to say about Wahabis and Irani Cuthroats.

When Baba-i-Urdu came under a cloud due to his companions’ conspiracy at the Anjuman Taraqqi-i-Urdu, Shahab Sahib came to his rescue and through an official order, issued by President Ayub Khan at the request of Shahab Sahib, Baba-i-Urdu was restored to his former powerful position at the Anjuman. But it came at a price: Baba-i-Urdu was made to sign an article – written by someone else – in favour of Ayub Khan’s Basic Democracy (BD) system. The article was published in a booklet titled Pak Jamhooriyet.

It was not only Baba-i-Urdu for whom respect and beneficence came with strings attached, but there were others – notable among them Ibn-i-Insha, Mumtaz Mufti and Shahid Ahmed Dehlavi – who wrote articles favouring Ayub’s BD system and the so-called constitution fashioned by the dictator. Many magazines published special issues on the BD system and many literary journals such as Saqi, Naqsh and Afkaar published features eulogising Ayub Khan.

Mr. Mughal, As Dr. Parekh notes, these are mere allegations by Mushfiq Khwaja. Rather than blame Shahab sahib, It is far more likely that Gen. Ayub's [military] Press Attache was involved getting the quid pro quo later. He was known for thaty sort of thing.

I AM NOT SURE BUT IT CAN BE IN "CANTERBURY CEMETERY, ENGLAND (postcode: CT2 8JL). It is a large cemetry (grave yard) and it may be hard to find Iffat Shahab's resting place. There are seprate muslim burial areas (graves) within this Cemetery. see link: http://www.canterbury.gov.uk/assets/streetscene/cantcemplannov2008.pdfkamran shabir: Hemel Hempstead UK

Assalam Alaikum,I wanted to thank you for giving me the opportunity to write about He was son of Pakistan i have no words to discribe how great he was and how pure he was kaash aaj be pakistan mein in jaisay log majood hotay.I have read his book Shahab nama which brought tears in my eyes woh Mard-e-Momin thay Allah Apnay pyaray nabi saw or un ki ulaad kay sadkay un ko janat mein ala maqam naseeb karay ameen,Plz can any one help me to have contect number or address of his beloved son Saqib Shahab i will be very greatfull for your help,Jazak Allah.Assalam Alaikum,Pakistan Zindabad. Sajawal_hussain@msn.com

It made my day reading all these comments about one of my favourite personalities, thanks to all who contributed.

I read Shahab Nama first time back in 1999 and then twice again just to get clear picture about this clan of people called themselves Silsila shabia can some one shed more light for getting in touch.

Now here are few questions for you all does Shahab, Mufti, Ashfaq and Banu share same malamti values or they all went on their own ways? Because Ashfaq sahab use to refer Baba Fazl Hussain Shah in his discourses.

Has Shahab initiated silsla in his life or someoneelse started it after him?

There is a program on air by PTV Piya Rung Kalahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2u7NiDEVds

in which a man named Baba Yahya claims to be Malamti Faqeer and a disple of Shahab and other?

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